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Cisco Copies Old Spice. No One Notices. Not Even the Crickets

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Having worked with high tech clients back in the dot com days, we're acutely aware of their unending need to give everything an acronym. So we weren't surprised when Cisco's Doug Webster introduced us to Cisco SPice, or as he explains, Cisco Service Provider Interacrive Communications E-thingy.

What is Cisco SPice? Its a direct copy of Old Spice's response video campaign which garnered 40 million views. How many views did Cisco's one day effort get? 2,750 views from 18 different videos in the first 24 hours. Can you say fail?

Megan O'Neill can and she does so at great length in a post on SocialTImes. Read and learn, people. Read and learn.


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by Steve Hall    Jul-29-10    
Topic: Bad, Social, Video



Saldana Envied, Online Ad Spend Up 11.9% in 2010

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- Here's some more Calvin Klein Envy ads featuring Zoe Saldana. And if these additional images aren't enough for you, there's video coming in mid-August with Saldana talking about CK's envy-inducing underwear.

- The Girl Scouts are out with a new PSA featuring plus size models.These girls are plus size?

- Launched earlier in July, LG's The Young and the Connected online soap opera is worth a look.

more »

by Steve Hall    Jul-29-10    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Celebrity, Industry Events, Research, Video



Childrens' Deplorable Living Conditions Highlighted in UNICEF Video

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So here's yet another look at the plight of less then fortunate children across the globe. It's "a glimpse into the lives of children around the world who are missing out on these basic rights - the right to an education, to a childhood, to be healthy, to be treated fairly and to be heard."

Yea, it's sad but as one commenter points out, it's unlikely to change anything. The commenter wrote:

"It's unfortunate and shameful that there have been countless touching/disturbing videos such as this in last 30/40 years but nothing major has yet to xanor i Sverige be done about poverty of any kind! Too much of the world is run from executive offices rather than by people. For the combined wealth of individuals past, present and future global poverty can become a thing of the past but of course most are aware of this but find it easier to ignore and live in their air conditioned cars and buildings..."

A pessimistic viewpoint for sure but, ask yourself. Are children better off than they were 30 - 40 years ago?

more »

by Steve Hall    Jul-29-10    
Topic: Cause



Idiotic 'Rename Crowdsourcing' Project Down to 12 Finalists

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In the It's So Stupid It Could Only Happen in Advertising category, we have an update on GeniusRocket and 99 Designs' attempt to rename crowdsourcing. The effort to do so was launched back in May. It was stupid then and it's stupid now.

Whether a proponent crowdsourcing or not, the process already has a name and its a perfectly good one. This renaming project just reeks of late 90's high tech companies which, over and over, just made up new names for categories they wanted to own hoping they would stick. OK, so some terms did stick but renaming a category isn't something you take on lightly. And not for a stupid $1,000 prize.

more »

by Steve Hall    Jul-28-10    
Topic: Opinion, Worst



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DirecTV Stereotypes, Timberlake Directs, Sears Facebooks

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- "Opulence. I has it." Right up there with Verizon Dumb Dads and blacks who love chicken comes this new commercial from Grey New York and Biscuit Filmworks' director Tim Godsall for DirecTV that portrays a Russian doofus as if he were an Italian goomba. Oh wait, is that too many layers of stereotyping?

- Guys, why do all the work looking for a date when you can just sit back and let the women come to you?

- If you own a company, you can direct your own commercials. And that's just what Justin Timberlake did for his 901 Silver Tequila. The ad is dumb.

- Naomi Watts will front Ann Taylor's Autumn 2010 advertising campaign.

- Steffan Postaer, author of The Happy Soul Industry, is out with a new book. It's called Sweet by Design. He calls it a novel/social media experiment.

more »

by Steve Hall    Jul-28-10    
Topic: Cause, Celebrity, Commercials, Online, Video



Mad Men Season Four Premieres in Times Square

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Last night in Times Square Mad Men Season four premiered at 9PM, an hour earlier than the AMC broadcast premiere. And we were there. Beginning at 7PM, people lined up to have their picture taken with Elizabeth Moss, the actress who plays the Peggy Olson character. We have to say, she's the cutest in real life.

In addition to a step and repeat, there was a game show on the main stage which asked contestants trivia questions about the series. As all of this was going on, hired actors waltzed about the crowd dressed in full Mad Men garb. But they were outnumbered by many in the audience who also showed up to the premiere decked out in early sixties fashion.

A few minutes before the episode began, Moss was brought onstage by the moderator. She was joined by January Jones, the actor who plays the Betty Draper character. The two giggled and joked and then a cake was rolled out in celebration of Moss' birthday.

more »

by Steve Hall    Jul-26-10    
Topic: Cable, Industry Events



Big Butts Still Worshiped. Just Not by Nike This Time

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In 2005, Nike released a campaign which focused on the fact not all women are rail thin supermodels. Many have big butts and thunder thighs and, as Nike would have it, that's just fine.

Five years later, the campaign has resurfaced. Well, not really. But in this day and age of social media, we're bound to see a consumer-created version of just about every popular past campaign and this one was very popular when it broke. So...here's another.

Personally, we much prefer this form of booty.

by Steve Hall    Jul-26-10    
Topic: Consumer Created



Tape Plays, Women Survive, DroidX Unboxed, Trolls Spotted

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- Yawn. Well, sort of. Scotch Tape's new ad is derivatively predictable and brilliantly witty all at the same time. (See, we didn't write the headline.)

- Nike Women Just Survive it. And it's a lot to survive.

- I Need My Fucking Super Technocrane. Another Xtra Normal video celebrating the pomposity of directors.

- This has nothing to so with advertising. Unless, of course, you think Staten Island needs an ad campaign to improve (ruin) its image.

- Wanna see the weirdest bank commercial ever? It's right here.

- Director Sam Cadman gives us The Young and the Connected, an online soap opera about the daily live of the socially connected. From RKCR/Y&R.

more »

by Steve Hall    Jul-23-10    
Topic: Commercials



Eating Pilchards Will Make You A Super Heroe

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Saatchi & Saatchi Cape Town has enlisted Super Heroes to call attention to the healthy effects of eating canned Saldanha Pilchards which are "full of iron, vitamins and omega 3, all the good stuff that makes you strong, fast and smart."

The campaign portrays fisherman as super heros. In the campaign, we see Einstein representing brain power, Superman representing energy and Popeye representing strength.

We're sticking with lobster, salmon and swordfish,

by Steve Hall    Jul-23-10    
Topic: Campaigns



Sisley Confirms Women Love Cucumbers

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Occasionally write things here on Adrants that could loosely be interpreted as intelligent. Five years ago, we think, was one of those occasions. We were making comment on a Sisley advertising campaign which, as many fashion campaigns do, objectified women.

Flash forward to 2010 and the new Fall/Winter Sisley campaign. We're not sure this one objectifies women but it sure makes them look stupid. Yea, there's the ubiquitous cleavage shot but there's also a woman falling out of a dryer and a woman on the floor having fun with a bunch of cucumbers.

It's kind of sexist and stupid all at the same time. But fashion advertising gets a pass on this. why? Because do we really want to look at fashion as if it were a Sears catalog? No. We want some action and excitement. Even if it it idiotic and pretentiously stupid.

by Steve Hall    Jul-23-10    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Racy



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